A new beta update is now available in the Members Club. You can download it if you have registered your game. It improves retreating Unit behavior, AI weapon selection, and makes Maps more portable, plus a number of Data fixes and adjustments.

v2.0.329d Beta – March 5th, 2011Fourth Public Beta Update

New Features

• Incorporated a modified version of Dazoline's Random Battle/Random Campaign generators into the official release. This version of the BG/RCG allow players to customize how Random Battles and Random Campaigns are generated.

o Players can now specify if they want to increase the value of Objectives in the battles. Increasing the value of objectives can allow players to gain more victory points through securing Objectives rather than destroying enemy units. This may shorten some random battles. o Players can generate Random Battles and even Random campaigns using the Phase structure of their choice. o Players can control whether the Soviet side uses Science of War or Art of War. The settings allow the player to decide if the Russian side Always uses Science of War, Never uses Science of War, or, in Random Campaigns, uses Science of War for battles until June of 1944, and then switches to use Art of War. o Players can determine how the PrePlanned artillery are handled. Players can choose either side, or both sides or neither side to have PrePlanned artillery barrage. Players can also choose to allow the Random Campaign Generator to choose which mode is used based on the each battle's mission. o Players can easily design their own core force for the Random Campaigns. o A new set of files have been created in the folder; Data/Campaign Core Units. The files in this folder are named to exactly match their counterparts in the folder: Data/Random Campaigns. These files allow players to edit Random Campaign Core forces that will be used in the corresponding Random Campaigns. Players can even create an entirely different core force. Features of these new Campaign Core unit files:

 You only have to edit one file to affect all key core units across all of the battles in a Random Campaign.  The modded files support upgrades. If you look in one of the longer Campaign Core Unit files such as the "1st Infantry Div 1941-44 Long" you will see multiple core tags inside the coreunit tag. Each tag has a date and scenario attribute which describes when that upgrade takes place. In the core tag are unit tags, corresponding to the core units in that scenario. Remember that the unitname attribute of a unit tag is what keeps track of that unit between battles and provides the upgrade path.  A file, in (Data/Campaign Core Units) will provide some of the units for each of that campaigns battles subject to:

• The Core Unit Files included with this patch replicate the existing Random Campaigns. If you make no changes to these Core Unit Files, Random Campaigns will have the original Core Forces and Upgrades as originally designed. • Before making changes to these Core Unit Files you should make backup copies so that you can return them to their original state. When editing the core units you are changing the "Key Core" units in a campaign. You should also make changes to the Campaign description in the Core Unit File to match those changes. You chould also make sure to update the corresponding units in each of the "core" sections of the file. You can 'upgrade" your equipment using these other sections in the file. • Any non key core units in Battles files will not be affected, so there will be variability retained in the units used from battle to battle in a campaign. • The Random Campaign description will display the key core units described in the CCU not the original key core units from the campaign file, so remember to make the appropriate changes to the description in the Core Unit File.

Fixed a series of bugs with how retreated units behaved. Retreating units will now continue to retreat until they rally.

When an armored vehicle targets an infantry unit the Tactical AI will now select the weapon and ammo that has the most chance to inflict losses on the target. This selection will consider the range to the target as well as the Firepower. If the firer and/or target is moving, the weapon selection may change. In most cases this will result in an armored vehicle choosing to use HE shells, then MG AP.

Map Maker has been adjusted to provide more portability of maps between systems. This will make it easier for users to work on maps on more than one computer without having to have the same directory structure and simplify the process if multiple users are collaborating on a map project.

Map Maker will now insert a map size attribute into Random Battle Templates.

Data Changes

Map size attributes have been added to RB Templates for future use.

A new sand texture by szartur has been added for use in making desert maps.

Updates to the Pz IVE, IVF1, IVF2,IVG, IVH, and IVJ were incorporated. These include making these units decal capable by the scenario designer and the inclusion of multiple commanders so that not all tank commanders are the same.

Fixed a problem where grass was too high in a small area on the map for Their toughest Battle.

Fixed a problem where RR tracks were tipping over when crossed on The Biggest and the Baddest map. This is actually a work around for a problem with how knockdown fences were implemented.

Fixed a problem with how map maker was drawing AI map colors around Telephone lines. Map Maker now only draws selected terrain around the base of one of the telephone poles, rather than along the entire length of the telephone line.

Added several new houses styled in the manner common to the style found in rural Hungary.

The killpower for some offmap artillery guns was reduced. This will reduce the effectives of artillery strikes against armoured units, resulting in fewer armoured units kills resulting from artillery barrages, but more stunned results.

Models were added and the map updated for the Stalingrad railway station. The Railway Station and the 13th Crossing scenarios were updated.

New units were added for the German PaK 36 and Pak 36 Late, and for the Russian 45mm ATG M-1937 and M-1942. This units have been added as Mobile versions of the above units in the Infantry unit type. Existing scenarios will continue to use the static versions of these units. Scenario designers can choose to use either the stationary version of these units from the Armoured units folder, or the Mobile versions from the Infantry folder. The mobile versions have 'Mobile' after the unit type to make them distinguishable. Random battles will use only the mobile type of these units.

yes i bought both games. it doesnt take the s/n. if i go through the members page and download, why does it even need a s/n especially for a beta??

the beta patch (329d) should accept your Panzer Command Ostfront serial number. You might double check the serialreg.txt file in the PCO folder to make sure you're using the correct one. (I usually just copy and paste it when I do an install). If it isn't taking it, I don't have an explanation. Maybe the patch download was corrupted?

I don't even get that far. The little screen pops up and I choose play, screen flashes a few times and I'm still at the little screen where you choose Play.

From the Play menu, click Configuration.

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Conflict of Heroes "Most games are like checkers or chess and some have dice and cards involved too. This game plays like checkers but you think like chess and the dice and cards can change everything in real time."

The game starts fine for me with the new patch. Thanks for all the improvements. The more I play the more I like this game!

One thing I did notice though was when I started one of the new Soviet random campaigns (1st Tank Corps 1942 Short) the horizon wasn't far away beyond the map as it usually is but instead the sky texture cut down into the map itself at only a few hundred metres. So if you view from the near map edge all visibility ends about half way across the map. I tried one of the older random campaigns and that was fine. So maybe a problem with one of the new maps or something, or is it just my system?

The Winter campaign uses the old PCOWS maps. Perhaps the random choice that you received was originally a foggy or snowy battle.

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Conflict of Heroes "Most games are like checkers or chess and some have dice and cards involved too. This game plays like checkers but you think like chess and the dice and cards can change everything in real time."

The Winter campaign uses the old PCOWS maps. Perhaps the random choice that you received was originally a foggy or snowy battle.

The first time I started the campaign it was clear weather, but the second time I tried it it was snowing, but you can still see the sky texture coming down into the map at a few hundred metres. There is no gradual decay or fading of visibility, it's just an abrubt cut-off, the sky is like a wall rising up from the ground.

The Winter campaign uses the old PCOWS maps. Perhaps the random choice that you received was originally a foggy or snowy battle.

The first time I started the campaign it was clear weather, but the second time I tried it it was snowing, but you can still see the sky texture coming down into the map at a few hundred metres. There is no gradual decay or fading of visibility, it's just an abrubt cut-off, the sky is like a wall rising up from the ground.

If you can idnetify the map, I"ll check it. Or if you send me scenario file I can check it as well. The scenario files are kept in the Data\Scenario folder. For random campaigns the start with a circled r and a number.

Or maybe even easier, take a screen shot top down and show inlclude the mini-map and I might be able to recgnize it. One of us will recognize it I would imagine.

The Winter campaign uses the old PCOWS maps. Perhaps the random choice that you received was originally a foggy or snowy battle.

The first time I started the campaign it was clear weather, but the second time I tried it it was snowing, but you can still see the sky texture coming down into the map at a few hundred metres. There is no gradual decay or fading of visibility, it's just an abrubt cut-off, the sky is like a wall rising up from the ground.

If you can idnetify the map, I"ll check it. Or if you send me scenario file I can check it as well. The scenario files are kept in the Data\Scenario folder. For random campaigns the start with a circled r and a number.

Or maybe even easier, take a screen shot top down and show inlclude the mini-map and I might be able to recgnize it. One of us will recognize it I would imagine.

The Winter campaign uses the old PCOWS maps. Perhaps the random choice that you received was originally a foggy or snowy battle.

The first time I started the campaign it was clear weather, but the second time I tried it it was snowing, but you can still see the sky texture coming down into the map at a few hundred metres. There is no gradual decay or fading of visibility, it's just an abrubt cut-off, the sky is like a wall rising up from the ground.

If you can idnetify the map, I"ll check it. Or if you send me scenario file I can check it as well. The scenario files are kept in the Data\Scenario folder. For random campaigns the start with a circled r and a number.

Or maybe even easier, take a screen shot top down and show inlclude the mini-map and I might be able to recgnize it. One of us will recognize it I would imagine.

Thanks and glad you're enjoying it! Rick

Rick,

I believe the map is 'Level1'

Thanks ARB,

I just checked the Level 1 map and it looked ok on my system. I didn't have the sky cutting into the map. the level 1 map actually is one of the older maps. You might try toggling weather off in the options and see if that affects it on your system.

I just checked the Level 1 map and it looked ok on my system. I didn't have the sky cutting into the map. the level 1 map actually is one of the older maps. You might try toggling weather off in the options and see if that affects it on your system.

Thanks rick

Rick, I tried it with weather off and this made no difference. Here is the scenario file (®1331129211656.xml) in case it helps (I was unable to attach it):

If you can post a screenshot, it might help. Maybe someone will have a idea of what's happening. You can capture screenshots with F8. You need to be able to convert to jpg format to post them here.

Here is a quick scrnshot I made of a Random game on a Level1 map. The scenario shouldn't matter as map itself controls the sky.

Thanks, Rick

Rick,

I managed to view that same map from exactly the same height and angle and the horizon appears to be at exactly the same distance as in your screenshot, with some clipping of the map base in the distance. When viewed from a greater height and looking down somewhat the clipping is much more noticeable (the sky cuts down into the map about half way across it). My screen resolution is 1280x1024, with more vertical to horizontal compared to wide screen, so I often view from higher angles. I just hadn't noticed it before on other maps, where the 'horizon' appears to be further away, and beyond the map. Sorry to waste your time on this. I'll just view from lower down on maps like this. Thanks for responding. You guys do a great job trying to keep your customers happy

I found the reg info but the game ran a little strange. I uninstalled it and wonder if I should re-install kharkov and then upgrade that? What would be the method of re-installing?

I would uninstall Panzer Command Ostfront if you have it installed. (delete any left over files in the directory --- but save any mods you want to keep somewhere else).

Then do a clean install of the Panzer Command Ostfront release (v327h). You can install the latest patch directly on the PCO release, you don't need any intermediate patches. Also, you don't need either PC:OWS or PC:K intalled. PCO includes the content from both of those.

If you can post a screenshot, it might help. Maybe someone will have a idea of what's happening. You can capture screenshots with F8. You need to be able to convert to jpg format to post them here.

Here is a quick scrnshot I made of a Random game on a Level1 map. The scenario shouldn't matter as map itself controls the sky.

Thanks, Rick

Rick,

I managed to view that same map from exactly the same height and angle and the horizon appears to be at exactly the same distance as in your screenshot, with some clipping of the map base in the distance. When viewed from a greater height and looking down somewhat the clipping is much more noticeable (the sky cuts down into the map about half way across it). My screen resolution is 1280x1024, with more vertical to horizontal compared to wide screen, so I often view from higher angles. I just hadn't noticed it before on other maps, where the 'horizon' appears to be further away, and beyond the map. Sorry to waste your time on this. I'll just view from lower down on maps like this. Thanks for responding. You guys do a great job trying to keep your customers happy

Not a waste of my time at all. I did try some other views but still didn't observe the clipping. However, I did check the map data and it looks like the zFar for that map is set pretty low (around 350 -- this isn't meters it's a game scale unit). If you want to play around with that, it's in the 'Mapname'Scene.xml file in the Media folder inside of the specific map folder. at the end of that file is the zFar setting. But be aware that changing it can affect LOS distance for scenarios using that map and if you play MP can trigger an error.

If you find it continues to bother you, I can tell you how to make it so that map won't get used in Random Campaigns.

I don't even get that far. The little screen pops up and I choose play, screen flashes a few times and I'm still at the little screen where you choose Play.

From the Play menu, click Configuration.

Why in the hell hadn't I ever noticed that before?? Fixed me up though. Thanks!!!

Because when you were a tester, it wasn't there. It was added to the final release version. Additionally, it seems that sometimes the config changes, and sometimes it does not.

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Conflict of Heroes "Most games are like checkers or chess and some have dice and cards involved too. This game plays like checkers but you think like chess and the dice and cards can change everything in real time."

Well, I have to configure the game for 19 x 10 resolution everytime I play (from the play menu) since the game was released. For some reason, I try to apply the 19 x 10 but it always kicks me back to 16 X 10. The only program/game that I have that does this.

Not a biggie though..the game runs fine at 19 x 10 after I manually configure.

If you can post a screenshot, it might help. Maybe someone will have a idea of what's happening. You can capture screenshots with F8. You need to be able to convert to jpg format to post them here.

Here is a quick scrnshot I made of a Random game on a Level1 map. The scenario shouldn't matter as map itself controls the sky.

Thanks, Rick

Rick,

I managed to view that same map from exactly the same height and angle and the horizon appears to be at exactly the same distance as in your screenshot, with some clipping of the map base in the distance. When viewed from a greater height and looking down somewhat the clipping is much more noticeable (the sky cuts down into the map about half way across it). My screen resolution is 1280x1024, with more vertical to horizontal compared to wide screen, so I often view from higher angles. I just hadn't noticed it before on other maps, where the 'horizon' appears to be further away, and beyond the map. Sorry to waste your time on this. I'll just view from lower down on maps like this. Thanks for responding. You guys do a great job trying to keep your customers happy

It may also be your configuration settings. Low and Medium induce the LOD models at a closer distance to the camera than High and Ultra.

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Conflict of Heroes "Most games are like checkers or chess and some have dice and cards involved too. This game plays like checkers but you think like chess and the dice and cards can change everything in real time."